Feeding of rod-like articles



1966 G. A. CRUICKSHANK 3,263,397

FEEDING OF ROD-LIKE ARTICLES //v veA/me 46W Filed March 6, 1963 B WM523,

ATTORNEYS United States. Patent 3,263,397 FEEDING 0F ROD-LIKE ARTICLESGeoffrey Alexander Cruiclrshanlr, Deptford, l ondon, England, assignorto The Molins Organisation Limited Filed Mar. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 263,338Claims priority, application Great Britain, Mar. 8, 1962, 8,968/62 4Claims. (Cl. 53-236) This invention concerns improvements in or relatingto the feeding of rod-like articles (i.e. cigarettes), for example tothe feeding of rod-like articles into a hopper.

In filling containers with cigarettes produced on a continuous rodcigarette-making machine it is sometimes the practice to feed cigarettesinto a hopper. For example it has been proposed to provide, in such ahopper, vertically disposed vanes between which the cigarettes can dropto form columns, the bottom cigarettes of each column being caused tofall into prepared positions on a plate so as to form a row or rowsthereon, and then, to transfer the row or rows into an adjacentcontainer. When feeding cigarettes into a hopper for transfer to acontainer it is desirable to maintain a satisfactory level of cigarettesover the Whole extent of the hopper. In a case where vanes are provided,this is particularly necessary in order to ensure that all availablepositions between vanes are filled with cigarettes.

According to the present invention there is provided appartus forfeeding rod-like articles into a receptacle (e.g. for feeding cigarettesinto a hopper), comprising an element arranged to move above and acrossthe receptacle, the said element having at least one space through whichrod-like articles can fall, means to supply rodlike articles to the saidelement to be supported thereby over the receptacle, and means (e.g. astop) to prevent articles being carried beyond the receptacle by thesaid element, so that the latter can slip beneath the articles supportedon it, and articles can fall through the said space into the receptacle.

More particularly, the said element may consist of a pair of endlessbands, spaced apart by a distance less than the length of a rod-likearticle, but being shaped at one or more selected positions so thattheir distance is greater than the length of an article, thus providinga spaced or opening through which an article can fall as mentionedabove. The bands convey the articles across the receptacle, and thearticles are prevented from moving past the receptacle by means of astop which arrests their movement while the bands slip beneath them.Preferably a number of spaces or openings are provided, so located thatas one of them moves beyond the receptacle a further space starts tomove over the receptacle.

Apparatus in accordance with the invention will now be described by wayof example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of part of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, cigarettes C are fed transversely of theiraxes by a moving catcher band 1 of a continuous rod cigarettemakingmachine over a bridge 2 and on to an element formed by a pair of endlessmovable conveyor bands 3, passing about rollers 4, 5, 6 and 7. The bands3 are moved by driving the rollers 5 which are mounted on a rotatingshaft 5a, and continue the feed of the cigarettes received from thecatcher band 1 in the same general direction as the direction of feed bythe catcher band 1, the direction of movement of the bands being shownby the arrows in FIGURE 1.

The bands 3 have substantially horizontal upper runs between the rollers4 and 5, along which they are parallel and spaced apart by a distanceslightly less than a cigarette length (see FIGURE 2). At selectedpositions inlets 8 are provided in the bands 3 so that at thosepositions their spacing is slightly greater than a cigarette length, anda space of dimensions sufficient to allow a cigarette to passtherethrough is formed.

The upper runs of the bands 3 extend above and across a receptacle inthe form of a hopper 9 having side walls 10 and in which verticallydisposed vanes 11 are provided. Positioned above the bands 3 and thehopper is a member 12 having an end wall 13, which defines a positionabove the upper runs of the bands 3.

The spacing of the selected positions of the inlets 3 along the bands 3is such that they are separated by a length of the bands 3 equal to orslightly greater than the width of the hopper 9 (i.e. the distancebetween the walls 10), so that, at any one time, only one space (definedby the inlets 8) is above the hopper.

The bands 3 are continuously moved in the direction indicated by thearrow (FIGURE 1), and cigarettes C received thereon are conveyedtransversely of their axes over the hopper, to fill the position definedby the member 12, the end wall 13 acting as a stop to prevent cigarettesfrom being carried beyond the extent of the hopper by the bands.

As a space defined by the inlets 8 moves along the upper runs of thebands 3 and across the hopper, the cigarettes C positioned beneath themember 12 and supported by the bands 3 fall through the space and intothe hopper 9, the space moving progressively into register withsuccessive articles as it travels across the hopper. Further cigarettesC are conveyed by the bands 3 to refill the position under the member12, and as one space defined by inlets 8 moves beyond the extent of thehopper 9 (i.e. to the right of wall 13 in FIGURE 1) a further spacemoves over the hopper 9 (at its left hand side in FIG- URE 1).

It will be appreciated that by this arrangement cigarettes C can be fedinto the hopper 9 with a substantially even distribution across its widtIn the embodiment described the bands 3 are arranged to move at a speedapproximately half that of the catcher band 1, so that a double row ofcigarettes is formed under the member 12, but it will be understood thatthe speed of the bands 3 and the spacing of the inlets 8 along them maybe varied as desired. It will also be understood that if desired thepair of conveyor bands 3 could be replaced by a single conveyor bandwhose width is greater than the length of a cigarette, there beingprovided apertures at selected positions in place of the spaces definedby the inlets 8.

The cigarettes thus fed into the hopper 9 drop between the vanes 11 toform columns which are supported by .a fluted base plate 14. The baseplate 14 is oscillated by means of a rotating cam 15 which acts againsta roller 16 carried by the base plate, so that rows of cigarettes areformed on the base plate for transfer into an adjacent container in amanner more fully described in copending United States applicationSerial No. 234,592.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for feeding rod-like articles, comprising a receptacle intowhich the articles are fed, an endless band system extending above andacross the receptacle, and having at least one space through whichrod-like articles can fall, means to supply rod-like articles to theendless band system to be supported thereby over the re ceptacle, meansto move the endless band system so as to move the said space across thereceptacle, and means to prevent articles being carried beyond thereceptacle by the endless band system, so that the latter can slipbeneath the articles supported on it, and articles can fall through thesaid space into the receptacle, as the space moves across thereceptacle.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said endless band systemcomprises a pair of endless bands having substantially parallel runsextending above and across the receptacle, the said hands being spacedapart along the said runs by a distance less than the length of therod-like articles and being shaped at a selected position so that theirdistance apart at that position is greater than the length of thearticles, thus providing a space through which an article can fall, andwherein the said means to move the endless band system comprises meansto move the said pair of bands along the said runs in a directiontransverse to the axes of the rod-like article supported thereon so asto move the said space progressively into register with successivearticles which can fall therethrough into the receptacle as the spacemoves across the receptacle.

3. Apparatus for feeding rod-like articles comprising a receptacle intowhich the articles are fed, an element extending above and across thereceptacle, and having a plurality of spaces through which rod-likearticles can fall, means to supply rod-like articles to the said elementto be supported thereby over the receptacle, means to move the elementso that the said spaces move in succession across the receptacle, thespaces being spaced along the element, considered in its direction ofmovement, so that as one space moves beyond the extent of the receptaclea further space moves over the receptacle, and means to prevent articlesbeing carried beyond the receptacle by the element, so that the lattercan slip beneath the articles supported on it, and articles can fallthrough a space into the receptacle as the space moves across thereceptacle.

4. Apparatus for feeding rod like articles, comprising a receptacle intowhich the articles are fed, an element extending above and across thereceptacle, and having at least one part defining a space through whichrod-like articles can fall, a conveyor to convey rod-like articles in adirection towards said element, means to move said element so that saidpart moves across the receptacle, and means to prevent articles beingcarried beyond the receptacle by the element so that the latter can slipbeneath the article supported on it, and articles can fall through saidspace into the receptacle as said part defining the space moves acrossthe receptacle, said element being arranged to receive the articles andto continue their feed in the same general direction as the direction offeed by said conveyor.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1933 Paridon19824 X 1/1960 Hillman 53-148

4. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING ROD-LIKE ARTICLES, COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE INTOWHICH THE ARTICLES ARE FED, AN ELEMENT EXTENDING ABOVE AND ACROSS THERECEPTACLE, AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE PART DEFINING A SPACE THROUGH WHICHROD-LIKE ARTICLES CAN FALL, A CONVEYOR TO CONVEY ROD-LIKE ARTICLES IN ADIRECTION TOWARDS SAID ELEMENT, MEANS TO MOVE SAID ELEMENT SO THAT SAIDPART MOVES ACROSS THE RECEPTACLE, AND MEANS TO PREVENT ARTICLES BEINGCARRIED BEYOND THE RECEPTACLE BY THE ELEMENT SO THAT THE LATTER CAN SLIPBENEATH THE ARTICLES SUPPORTED ON IT, AND ARTICLES CAN FALL THROUGH SAIDSPACE INTO THE RECEPTACLE AS SAID PART DEFINING THE SPACE MOVES ACROSSTHE RECEPTACLE, SAID ELEMENT BEING ARRANGED TO RECEIVE THE ARTICLES ANDTO CONTINUE THEIR FEED IN THE SAME GENERAL DIRECTION AS THE DIRECTION OFFEED BY SAID CONVEYOR.